'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' Video Game Is At The Center Of A Studio Bidding War

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, the stealth-action video game franchise that centers around super spy Sam Fisher, a gifted and hotshot member of the fictional American National Security Agency group “Third Echelon,” is now in the middle of a multi-studio bidding war. Currently, “several” studios are competing for the rights to make a film about Sam Fisher and the world of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell’s six-game franchise (with a seventh on the way).

At one point, Warner Bros. was in competition to score the rights, but /Film reports that Paramount is now the front-running studio. You’ll recall that Paramount also produced the four Tom Clancy “Jack Ryan” novel adaptations: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears. No deal has yet been signed, though.

While the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell game franchise is an enjoyable one, it’s not exactly notable for original storylines—should Paramount produce a series of straight adaptations, the plot would follow the basic spy movie story we’ve seen over and over: hotshot spy saves the world a few times, is framed as a bad guy, loses a few loved ones, and must clear his good name. All things considered, couldn’t we have just received a Metal Gear Solid adaptation instead?